Manchester City 3 - 1 Newcastle United: Chips down so City sizzle

There were no chips at Eastlands yesterday, just another three points for the Premier League leaders as Newcastle’s unbeaten record came to an end.

Even City’s fans shared the amusement of a club that just disclosed losses of £194.9 million being forced to announce that there would be no chips available at half-time.

The money has been spent on far more productive items, though, and two of the recent big-money purchases, Mario Balotelli and Sergio Aguero, both scored from the spot in between a rasping finish from home-grown defender Micah Richards, who had an outstanding afternoon.

It maintained City’s 100 per cent home record in front of a stadium-record crowd, although Alan Pardew’s men could justifiably feel the scoreline did not pay due reward to their own efforts, even after Dan Gosling’s consolation.

If Demba Ba had profited during the visitors’ best spell of the opening period, they might well have headed back to the north-east in even more buoyant mood. Instead, his snap-shot was turned away by Joe Hart before he glanced a header wide from Yohan Cabaye’s corner.

Yet again, City were the team carrying most of the threat and before Newcastle’s purple patch, Aguero fizzed a shot over the bar and Tim Krul produced an excellent one-handed save to deny Balotelli’s close- range header.

The Blues were still searching for some kind of inspiration when Ryan Taylor made his intervention. He would be correct in claiming he was within close proximity of Yaya Toure’s shot five minutes before the break. However, referee Chris Foy presumably took the view that with his arm outstretched, Taylor was asking for trouble, which duly came in the form of a penalty when the ball hit him inside the box.

Never one to avoid a bit of drama, Balotelli strode slowly to the spot-kick before side-footing neatly into the bottom corner. It was the Italian’s ninth goal of the season and was celebrated with a folding of the arms and a steely stare.

Taylor’s afternoon was soon to get worse as on City’s next attack he tried to control Samir Nasri’s through ball and turn at the same time. All the full-back succeeded in doing was allow Richards the chance to intervene. Mystifyingly overlooked by Fabio Capello, the full-back finished smartly and suddenly City were clear.

To their credit, Newcastle refused to let their heads drop. But the second-half just brought more anguish in their bid to drag themselves back into the game. First Hatem Ben Arfa drove a low shot against a post, then Fabricio Coloccini belted a volley wide. Finally, Hart denied Guthrie, who has sped into the box and gone for the corner from an acute angle. Having come through those trials and tribulations unscathed, it seemed harsh that City should grab another themselves after Ben Arfa had sent Richards tumbling in the box. With Balotelli replaced by David Silva, Aguero took over spot-kick duties and promptly sent Krul the wrong way.

The sight of Aguero and Toure hobbling off would be a worry for manager Roberto Mancini with Tuesday’s must-not-lose Champions League trip to Napoli looming. And the City boss would not be too happy that Gosling’s effort two minutes from time denied his side a clean sheet.